The scary part is that this might just happen -- again. Salvador Allende was killed in a CIA-backed coup in 1973, pretty much in the same way and for the same reasons that Robertson says. There has already been a coup attempt against Chavez, which failed largely because Chavez had support within the military. Were a coup attempt to be successful, I doubt very much Chavez would come out alive and retire to the Florida keys. There was also an attempt to recall Chavez, which failed after he gained a clear majority of the vote in a referendum.
The desperation for oil is surging.

If 9/11 was in some form levied on America by God as punishment for our moral decay (which Robertson also said), then what could God be thinking about by giving us Chavez? I just wish Robertson could schedule some quality conference time for all of us with Yaweh. Some of these company policies really need to be hashed out with the Big Spirit in charge.
Seriously tho, WHO needs to be assasinated here?

I can think of a fanatic who could use assasinating (gimme a P, gimme an A), but being a moral person I won't cheer for death and murder.
Hey Pat, WWJD? First you swindle old ladies and now you call for political murder. The "moral majority", ladies and gentlemen.

This is just one more piece of evidence, not that any more was needed, that Pat Robertson is an imbecile of monumental proportions.
Not only does such a statement go against his professed religion's positions on loving your neighbor and turning the other cheek, but it puts the U.S. in the unfortunate position of being blamed should some Venezulean patriot now manage to put a bullet into the lunatic (although we probably would have been blamed anyway, as witnessed above).
Pat Robertson, a poster child for abortion if ever there was one.

Chicken-Hawks. The only people (non-people) these Christians seem to be able to care about are the unborn. I guess the unborn agree with everything that they say, living people are way too challenging, so Kill em all. Maybe it is all that 'turning of cheeks' and getting slapped that makes them want to kill so much. Actually they have others do the killing for them, too un-christian to do it themselves.

To amend my previous question, and to apologize for the perception of sinking to a certain preacher's level:
"Seriously tho, WHO is the real danger here?"
Don't like to toss around the assasination talk lightly, even when the sarcasm fits. Gotta be better'n that.

but it puts the U.S. in the unfortunate position of being blamed should some Venezulean patriot now manage to put a bullet into the lunatic

Are you serious jpaul? Chavez, like him or hate him, is the democratically elected leader of Venezuela. The fictitous "patriot" you mention would be a common murderer. Any Venezuelans who don't like Chavez are free to get their candidate on the ballot and defeat him. Truth is, the majority in Venezuela like him. Frankly, the opinions of you, me, or crooked Pat are irrelevant. It isn't our country.

...it puts the U.S. in the unfortunate position of being blamed should some Venezulean patriot now manage to put a bullet into the lunatic...

Some patriot? The lunatic? Please explain.
Chavez has been Washington's worst nightmare precisely because he has been making true democratic reforms in that country. So the Venezualan oligarchy and their allies in the US government want him dead. Pat Robertson is merely getting the word out about what is coming.
Chavez was briefly deposed in a coup in April 2002 and the Bushies immediately recognized the illegitimate government of businessman Pedro Carmona. But it appears that a new level of maturity has been reached in Latin America, because within hours of Carmona trying to shut down the democratic process and install another U.S.-blessed junta, he was thrown out by a popular uprising supported by large segments of the military.
If Chavez is killed it will almost certainly be by our hand or by our influence. That is the sad history of that part of the world for even longer than we have been meddling in the Mid-east. It is some coincidence that September 11 also has tragic relevance in Latin America.

kdog,
Imagine that Bush was using military forces to put down popular protests against his administration. Would you say that he is still the democratically elected leader and that most of the country likes him?
As has been said many times, one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist (or murderer). That goes both ways, meaning that one man's murderer is another man's freedom fighter. My use of the word "patriot" was intended to denote someone who believed they were fighting for a free Venezuela, not that you or I would agree with such a position or see assassination as an acceptable means of pursuing such a goal. I won't speak for you, but I will freely admit that I do not.
So no, I'm not kidding. Pat Robertson has raised the issue, and I do believe that should Chavez meet his maker in the near future, at the hands of an assassin, you will see posts right here saying that it was because of what Robertson said, and even questioning whether Bush was responsible (which, granted, would have been par for this course anyway).
The only mitigating point in any of this is that Robertson is already considered a nutbar by a large percentage of people, but that doesn't make it acceptable. The guy should be muzzled.

Can't wait to see our own Right Media and several regular bloggers on TL spin this sympathetically for that vampiric piece of human waste.
He's a regular on Hannity and colmes, for example. That aint gonna change. Then you're going to seee scores of collumns in Townhall defending Robertson. Talk Radio will be fun to follow as well.
justpaul says Robertson is "a poster child for abortion if ever there was one."
Actually, I would amend that to say he's a poster child for the Republican Base as well as a great deal of it's upper management.

That has everything to do with it. We need that oil. Whoever stands in the way is a dead man. Again, Pat Robertson is just getting the word out for what's coming.
JP...if you believe the stories that Chavez used snipers to kill demonstrators, I have some Enron stock to sell you.

I knew when Hugo
kicked the D.E.A. out that bad things were headed his way. While I may not agree with all of his politics I do admire him for having the courage to stand up to the US.
On Pat Robertson.....When oh when will he and his followers drink that damn kool-aid and have done with it already?
I don't wish assassination on him....but him being accidentally mowed down by a bus wouldn't be so bad....

So I like Pat Robertson for saying it, what is wrong with killing that little Rat Red Chavez, after all sounds right to me! stop the third world, shot Chavez and keep the oil. big money in that deal.
Do as I tell you to do or die!..help!
freedom is marching on you Hugo Chavez. oh yes is Chavez holding any BIG GUNS?(WMD)..It's Oil isn't it? or is it what you don't see?

The propaganda of the Wannabe-White Venezuelans is not really the issue.
This threat, another prong of American Dominationism (aka economic colonialism, aka violent interference in foreign governments), has to be put in context with the COUP in Haiti -- utterly illegal, racist, and another impeachable violation of US treaties with the other American countries.
Hiring Blackwater mercenaries to remove the legally-elected president of Haiti, as Bush did, and then having the traitor C. Rice say she "didn't want to see Aristide in the Western hemisphere" as if she were a Queen like her boss -- these are truly disgusting acts of tyranny.
It has to be put in context with Bush and his world-famous UNDERWEAR OUT HIS ZIPPER incident in Peru last year, which most likely signals his return to cocaine use, was a petulant tantrum over not being able to treat Chile as his personal duchy.
It has to be put in context with the genocidal POISONING of Colombian food crops, sponsored by Bush, which has as one of its subsidiary purposes the destruction of the rain forest (for corporate profit).
It has to be but into context with the ongoing interference with Bolivian politics (for oil).
These actions are anti-democratic behaviors in violation of US treaty law, which Robertson merely echoes. Compared to these actual actions, the lies of Coca-Cola employees and rich rightwing Venezuelans are pathetic.
How about EXTRADITING known airline bomber terrorist (and Venezuelan) Posada Carriles, as required by law, instead of harboring him?
Bush is a criminal, and a supporter of rightwing terror around the world. He harbors and protects terrorists.

Venezuelan ombudsman German Mundarain has said security forces tortured some protesters who were detained during recent anti-government demonstrations. ....Human rights groups said detainees were subjected to severe beatings, burnings, electric shocks and mock executions.

Just to make sure I've got this right, if government forces partake in severe beatings, electric shocks, and mock executions, the head of that government is a legitimate target for assassination? Interesting.

Justpaul,
whatever we think about Chavez, Venezuela really does have free and fair elections (according the international observers). Fairly recently Venezuelans overwhelming voted to maintain Chavez as president, and he is expected to win reelection next year. I don't know enough about the human rights record to agree or disagree with your claims of human rights abuse, but you wouldn't call someone a patriot for assassinating Bush because of human rights abuses in Abu Graib. In a democratic country the only way to bring about change is through elections.

The religion is the followers...
This kind of statement (which would get me arrested were I to say it about our dear leader) seems to come often from the mouths of Christians, Muslims, and many other followers of traditional religions.
This is not a surprise.
WWJD indeed.

This is just one more piece of evidence, not that any more was needed, that Pat Robertson is an imbecile of monumental proportions.
As are his devotees, and the media outlets that spread his s**t across the land.

Chavez murdered his way to power but also remember that carter was watching the so called fair elections.
also remember that bush and business made deal's with Red Jack Chavez for big money and big business cares nothing about freedom, remember what chavez did to unknown numbers of people and we know that many were disappeared with the help of the X-KGB\CIA Guys who are now working for Chavez and his best friend, Old Bush and young Bush\world banking system and the old Beard.
but above all remember Bush and his dealings with chavez, and watch the gas go up and up and ask why I can't buy food in 3 years. third world the Bush way. and What law did pat Robertson Break? maybe the one world laws, but not u.s. law, but i would love to be killed for saying what i say, ask why?

J.B.
They're not "my claims" of abuses; they are all made by people in Venezuela. They are the very kind of claims that the majority posting comments here would accept at face value, no questions asked, if they were made about Bush. I don't know if they are true or not; I merely provided the material in response to a question about snipers which seemd to imply that all claims against Chavez were false.
As for the term patriot: I should have used it in quotes. I did not mean to imply that I believe that someone who killed Chavez would be a patriot in the truest sense (nor am I saying they wouldn't be; I don't know enough about the situation to make that call). But it is not too far-fetched to believe that someone in Venezuela who believes that those reports I linked to are accurate might well think themselves a "patriot" for killing the man, just as there have been those in this country who have killed presidents and believed themselves to be "patriots". The fact that Chavez is a leftist and claims to represent the people does not make him immune to the laws of modern life.
All of which is, in truth, a digression. Robertson is a dumbass for saying such stupid things. End of discussion.

justpaul,
your ignorance of the last non-contested election in Venezuela is only overshadowed by your utter disdain for anybody who calls you on it. Love or hate Chavez he was elected by a larger percentage of the population than Preznit Shrub was, so your one man's freedom fighter/thug lame analogy doesn't hold water. you truly are a nut.
I e-mailed the CBN folks to ask if it was Pat Robertsons contention that it is legitimate to kill a democratically elected leader of a country. I don't think I will hold my breath waiting for a response.

ShermBuck,
When did I say anything about the last election in Venezuela? Your ignorance of the comments you claim to be responding to is only overshadowed by your arrogance in assuming that no one will call you on your arrogance and stupidity.
And President Bush won the election last year with more votes than any President in history. Are you saying that makes him more legitimate than any other in history? I doubt you'll find much support for that belief here, but hey, it's your right to believe as you wish. Good luck with that.
I'll admit that the "freedom fighter/terrorist" analogy was weak, but I think it made the point, and if not I tried to do so again just above in a response to J.B. Beyond that, there's not a lot whole lot I can do if all you want to do it rant. Have at it.
And for the record: I've been calling for Robertson's head on a stick for years. One of my favorite comic runs of all time was the Bloom County episodes where Bill the Cat had become a televangelist and was running a beg-a-thon with the stated intention of sending Robertson, Falwell, Baker, and Roberts up to the pearly gates. I've always believed that as much as these guys keep saying that Jesus is coming back, they go to bed each night praying it's not anytime soon, as they would all have a lot to answer for.

"Imagine that Bush was using military forces to put down popular protests against his administration. Would you say that he is still the democratically elected leader and that most of the country likes him?"
Bush hasn't gone quite that far yet--although he's come close--but Nixon certainly did that. Wasn't he democratically elected?

I would just like to say FATWAH because it hasn't been said yet.
Here's Amnesty's report on human rights abuses in Venesuela.
As far as I can remember, Venesuela's most recent referendum was verified by international observers, which is more than can be said of elections in the USA.

This is interesting. While on AI's site I had a look at the index of documents for Venezuela. 3 pages of documents, 63 in all.
For the USA, 40 pages, 1307 documents.
Not scientific I grant you (not all the documents are necessarily negative), but who exectly is claiming the global moral high ground?
For scale the UK has 323 documents and China has 422.

As you may know, the alleged government snipers were the excuse used to oust Chavez in the April 2002 coup and the reason given why the U.S. recognized the Carmona junta...this new unelected government was "restoring order". This was the exact gameplan used by Pinochet, Nixon and Kissenger in Chile in 1973.
Let's cut to the chase...Chavez is guilty of one thing: redistributing wealth from 2 percent of Venezualans to the other 98 percent. History shows time and again that if you attempt to do that you will come under all kinds of fire from those 2 percent and their allies in the U.S. who are looking out for their own business interests, especially if you do it by means of the democratic process.
I contend that Robertson was throwing out the assassination item because it is a part of our strategy now that Chavez has defeated all attempts to oust him.
PIL:

Chavez is an imbelcilic Fidelista.
Robertson is an imbelecilic bible thumper.
Chavez has a secret police that destroys the opposition in his country and that political oberverver, Jimmy Carter is an enabling asshat.
Robertson has only lobbying power which after such an irresponsible statement is pretty much nil.
I really don't like Pat Robertson but I really, really don't like Hugo Chavez because he can actually break the heads of his opposition where Robertson is subjected to a free press and gets swatted aside the head in that casual way we do in countries that allow dissent.
Unlike Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.
Robertson's an idiot and a pest.
Chavez is an idiot and dangerous to his own people.

Chavez has a free press (that happens to be owned by his political enemies)and 58 percent of the public voted to keep him in office a year ago.
Pat Robertson speaks for a large segment of the Jesus/wingnut crowd...as well as the Republican Party leadership. For instance, I watched Senator Pat Roberts on C-span saying that Chavez was a real problem and may have to be "dealt with eventually". Robertson is just warming up the troops, so to speak.

FOX is already at it. Look at Hume and Gibson. Hannity and colmes and O'Reilly will be next.
It's really too funny. TL, I have no idea at all why you bother to defend them, let alone actually go on there.

Posada Carriles put a bomb on a civilian airliner and killed everyone on it, including the Venezuelan soccer team. He has admitted it. Yet Bush is harboring him.
H. Chavez is another in a long line of patriot South Americans who the Banana Republicans try to destroy.
Islam Karimov boils his political enemies to death, and tortures whomever he pleases, and Bush thinks he's a SWELL guy.
Bush is also pals with M. Kadafi, who last I heard had blown up an American airliner.
Bush's Blackwater removed duly-elected democratic leader Aristide out of Haiti on the thinest and most obvious of overt coup d'tat by the CIA -- and H. Chavez isn't 'democratic' enough for his racist enemies.
How is it that Bush has so many terrorist friends?

I think I see where you are coming from jpaul. Ultimately, history decides if the assasination of a president is a patriotic act or a political murder.
And I agree 100% about Robertson being a skunk of the first order. You'd have to be really gullible to believe he is a man of god.

Posted by kdog: "Ultimately, history decides if the assasination of a president is a patriotic act or a political murder."
'History' is a canard. Assassination of democratically elected political leaders is ILLEGAL nowadays -- reference to historical events even a hundred years ago is anachronistic.
Bush violated the UN charter to commit a range of warcrimes and, indeed, genocide. Bush's removal of Aristide predictably produced genocide. Any attack on Chavez will produce another bloodbath. Bloodbaths are not democracy.
Following the law is not a CIA specialty. They put the theocracy in power in Iran; they put Hussein in power in Iraq. They trained Osama Bin Laden; they installed Pinochet -- they have been involved in several assassinations. Who can name ONE CIA operation which can be called a success a decade or two later? Most of this anti-democratic CIA behavior has been a total DISASTER.